The Mysterious Pilot is a 15-episode 1937 Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator Frank Hawks. This was the second serial produced by Columbia. In the serial, Hawks plays a flying "mountie".
Plot
Carter Snowden (Kenneth Harlan) about to marry Jean McNain (Dorothy Sebastian), is accused of murder. When his accuser is killed, Jean flees the train she is on, and heads into the Canadian woods. Snowden sends a bodyguard to find Jean, who appeals to RCMP Captain Jim Down (Frank Hawks) for help. With his friend "Kansas" (Rex Lease) and Indian Luke (Yakima Canutt), Jim hides Jean.
Snowden tracks down Jean and tries to lure her to his aircraft by telling her that Jim is injured and needs her. As soon as they realize what has happened, Jim and Kansas take to the air and force Snowden's aircraft down. Jean is unhurt but Snowden dies in the crash. Trying to get down to Jean, Jim's parachute gets tangled in the trees and Jean ends up rescuing him.
Chapter titles
The Howl of the Wolf
The Web Tangles
Enemies of the Air
In the Hands of the Law
The Crack-up
The Dark Hour
Wings of Destiny
Battle in the Sky
The Great Flight
Whirlpool of Death
The Haunted Mill
The Lost Trail
The Net Tightens
Vengeance Rides the Airways
Retribution
Source:
Cast
Frank Hawks as Captain Jim Down
Dorothy Sebastian as Jean McNain
Esther Ralston as Vivian McNain
Rex Lease as RCAF Sergeant "Kansas" Eby
Guy Bates Post as "Papa" Bergelot
Kenneth Harlan as Carter Snowden
Yakima Canutt as Indian Luke
George Rosener as Fritz
Clara Kimball Young as Martha, Fritz's Wife
Frank Lackteen as Yoroslaff, a henchman
Harry Harvey as "Soft Shoe" Cardigan, a henchman
Tom London as Kilgour, a henchman
Bob Walker as Boyer, a lumberjack henchman
Ted Adams as Carlson, a henchman
Production
Mysterious Pilot was adapted from the novel "The Silver Hawk" by William Byron Mowery. Frank Hawks was billed in Mysterious Pilot as the "Fastest airman in the world." After each episode, Hawks appeared to deliver a "flying lesson". A Sikorsky S-39 amphibian was featured in the serial.
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
Cline, William C. "In Search of Ammunition." In the Nick of Time. New York: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. . Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. . Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. "Real Life Heroes: Just Strangle the Lion in Your Usual Way". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. New York: Routledge Publishing, 1973. . Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. .